Sunday, 21 July 2013

Cruising the Inner Hebrides + a Tweet Meet

Perhaps cruising is a tad pretentious. We were aboard a small converted fishing boat, ten passengers and four crew members. This is our boat called the Glen Massen.


Friends and family kept texting me with news of a heat wave in the UK but this did not materialise in the Inner Hebrides. Here is the view from our boat for much of the week.


We had rain and rough seas too. On one day the sea was so choppy the crew had to tie everything down. It was certainly an adventure! The holiday was made extra special by the amazing crew. I'll never know how Chef managed to conjure up three immaculately cooked meals each day in such a tiny galley kitchen [yes three! I have put on weight!] and he took great care to cater for my many food requests/fads.

The only way to get ashore was on a tender. This was great fun and when there were just a few of us on board the Engineer drove it as if it was a motor boat. You can just see the top of my head on the far side of the tender.



The sun emerged for the last day and, what a difference it made. In the words of our Captain, "These are the kind of views we should have been seeing all week."


And then on the way home we made a small detour and visited Anne Mackle [@cassam101] and her warm Scottish welcome made up for all those chilly days on the boat. This is us in her lovely garden.


The tour was organised by The Majestic Line and I can thoroughly recommend it. We were taken such good care of and the week was good fun in spite of the weather.


17 comments:

  1. I have been on cruises on ships that aren't really cruise ships and I believe they are much more fun. I would hate to be on one that looks like a giant shopping mall. Your ship looks just right and I am so glad you had such a good time. And how great that you were able to meet up with Anne.

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  2. ooh that sounds fun!!! And meeting Anne Mack!!! BTW her hair doesn't look nearly as red as I'd expected!! What a treat to see pics of you both!!! Glad you had a good break!

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    1. I'm back to my usual blonde again Carol. I think blondes have more fun!

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  3. I have never been on a cruise,pleased you had a grand time.

    Yvonne.

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  4. Hi Ros .. sounds ideal - but a pity the weather wasn't kinder .. still perhaps another reason to go back and see the views and go via Anne Mack again .. I love meeting up with blogging friends - and I will be up to Leicester sometime ..

    Enjoy the heat now you're back .. cheers Hilary

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  5. Sounds like a wonderful adventure, wish I'd been able to experience something like this.

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  6. Ros, I swear you spend more time cruising than I do! What a lovely trip! I am quite jealous, and even more green that you met up with Anne! Just lovely! It's so special to meet up with blogging friends. Lovely photos of a lovely holiday despite what is I think fairly standard Scottish weather. Beautiful.

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  7. I apologise for the Scottish whether, usually we have four seasons in one day but you seemed to have just dull and dreary weather. It was so lovely for you and hubby to take the detour to visit me it was lovely,apart from us not taking a great photo,we're far better looking in real life.
    Val if you're reading this we're all coming to Rotterdam!

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  8. Sounds like you've had an adventure Ros, and meeting Anne too!

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  9. What a wonderful adventure! You were on a boat... floating on and moving across the water... sounds like a cruise to me! And a recipe for a terrific time. Very neat that you got to meet a blogger pal face-to-face.

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  10. That sounds like a great trip, small enough to get to know everybody on board and not too long. Brian and I took a Carribean cruise a few years ago--too long and boring. Before that, I acted as chef for 14 people and children on a private fishing boat. I had to plan the meals ahead and be very organized.

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  11. Glad you had some sun, even if it was right at the end. Fantastic photos - the second one down on the lone boat in the mist is very atmospheric.

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  12. This looks really brave for you, Ros - so glad you had a good time in spite of the weather.

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  13. That looks like fun! I think I'd prefer that to one of those huge generic cruise ships. Glad the sun finally shone!

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  14. What a wonderful trip! For me anytime I'm on the water in a boat, that I'm not steering, it's a good day.

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  15. thanks for sharing your pics and adventures. Sounds like a neat trip, and yes you'll have to return on a non-foggy outing. Nonetheless - good times. Glad you had fun.

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  16. Nice holiday, shame about the fog. But as I tell anyone who queries my desire to return to England, there's more to life than weather.

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